What was the capital of the Qin dynasty?

The capital of the Qin dynasty was Xianyang. The city became the capital of the Qin state in 350 BCE, when the reformer Shang Yang moved the administration from Yueyang during the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin. After Qin Shi Huang conquered the other major Warring States in 221 BCE, Xianyang became the political center of the first unified imperial China.

Qin Shi Huang greatly expanded the city and brought powerful families from across the conquered states to live there. Palaces modeled on those of the defeated kingdoms were constructed around the Wei River, while roads connected the capital with other parts of the empire. Xianyang therefore served not only as a royal residence but also as the administrative, economic, and symbolic heart of Qin rule.

The dynasty was short-lived. After Qin fell in 206 BCE, the warlord Xiang Yu captured and burned Xianyang. The Han later established Chang’an nearby, across the Wei River, which is why Chang’an—not Xianyang—is more often associated with the succeeding Han dynasty. Modern Xianyang lies in Shaanxi Province, near Xi’an.